Product Description

TONY AND ME is about the lives and close friendship between Jack Klugman and Tony Randall from their early days of stage and television to the "Camelot" of THE ODD COUPLE and onto their later lives. What emerges is a touching portrait of a legendary professional relationship that in the end became deeply personal. A free DVD of never-before-seen outtakes from THE ODD COUPLE adds a hilarious third dimension to this intimate account.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #84498 in Books
• Brand: MLB
• Published on: 2005-08-31
• Number of items: 1
• Dimensions: 1.00" h x 5.00" w x 9.50" l, 1.00 pounds
• Binding: Hardcover
• 141 pages

From Publishers Weekly
Klugman's brief memoir of his friendship with Tony Randall stays true to the promise the author made to himself if he ever wrote such a book: "I would never do two things: kiss and tell, and bore people with long histories of things." Boring this work isn't, as one would expect from a kid who grew up as the only Jew in a tough 1920s Italian South Philadelphia neighborhood, entered a college acting program to get away from his bookie and was cast by Garry Marshall in TV's The Odd Couple because Marshall had been impressed by seeing Klugman on Broadway in Gypsy getting spit on by Ethel Merman and not flinching. Although lacking in panache, the book does stay true to its stated intention of paying tribute to Randall, who founded the National Actors Theatre. The most endearing anecdote is that of how Randall cast Klugman in a 1991 benefit Odd Couple production, three years after Klugman had undergone throat cancer surgery and lost almost all his voice. The chapter titled "How Tony Gave My Life Back" recounts how Klugman retrained his throat and regained his career. Though amateurish, Klugman's writing possesses rare conviction and humility. Photos. (Oct.)
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Customer Reviews

Very Insightful, Surprising
Reading this book by Jack Klugman, you could almost see it written by Tony Randall. Far more vulnerable and sensitive that you would expect from the characterization we see of his public persona.

The book was very insightful and surprising on the complexity of these two individuals and the relationship they developed over the years. I was duly impressed.

He sums it up quite well at the end of the book:

"If you're like I was, or you're someone who likes to hold a grudge, or you've never really let someone know what they mean to you because you're afraid, ask yourself this question: what are you really protecting? If you look, you'll see it: nothing. Absolutely nothing. Just phantoms from old wounds that never healed. Give them up and join the people in your life who love you. Risk it all. For me, it was the best gamble I ever made."

In this, though the book is easy and quick to read, it is an epic in personal growth as well as a tribute to the effect those we let in our lives have on us.

A GREAT Story of Friendship
This was a wonderful story of friendship. Jack wrote this after Tony died. It briefly tells about how they met, how The Odd Couple came to be and how their friendship became a life savor for Jack, especially after he was diagnosed with throat cancer. Tony was instrumental in building Jack's confidence back after Jack lost his voice from cancer surgery so that Jack could perform again. Tony was also helpful in allowing Jack to see how important friendship is, especially during rough times. Jack never thought much of friendships. He was a loner and reluctant to open himself up to trusting anyone. But, Tony showed Jack how much he cared and how much he was routing for him when he was trying to come back as an actor. This book is a tribute to a partnership, a very successful partnership. Included in the book is a DVD of some outtakes from The Odd Couple. This was the icing on the cake.

Jack Klugman Rules!
I recently saw Jack Klugman in a production of the Sunshine Boys and he signed my book!